groebli



I. A. GROEBLI.

sms TEwfssomNG nmol; For: EmRomEmNe MAcHmEs.

, APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9,1915- 9 l 95 @UQ g Patemed Img. 22, IMS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

1. A. asoma. SIDE TENSIONlNG DEVICE FOR EMBRUiDERING MACHiNES. Lg.

APPUCATION FILEDIUNE919I5.

Patented Aug. 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ms MRM: Luna-1: un, Pam-urna, wnamrsc mn. n, c.

JOSEPH Ai. GROEBLI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SIDE-TENSIONING DEVICE FOB. EMBROIDERING-MACINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application fied June a, 1915. serial No. 33,003.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Josnrr-I A. GROEBLI, av citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in Side-Tensioning Devices for Embroidering-Machines, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to that classof embroidering machines wherein the fabricis carried upon transferring means, such. as rollers, mounted in a tambour frame, periodically shifted forward and tensioned to present new portions of the. fabric for the embroidering operation. And my improvements are directedv particularly to the means whereby the lateral tension is applied to the fabric.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a tambour frame, shortened by breaking away a central portion, equipped with my improved tensioning` apparatus; Fig. 2 is a sectional side view, taken. on the line O2, O2 of Fig. 1 and lookingtoward the right; Figs. 3 and 4 arerespectively a front view and a sectional side view, on an enlarged scale, of theelements of one unit of the .tensioning mechanism on one side of the tambour frame; Fig. 5 is a view, on an. enlarged scale, of the fabric gripping mechanism and the mechanism for moving it in and out, taken on the line O5-O5 of Fig. 3 looking downward; Fig. 6 is .a sectional detail, taken on the line VO---O of Fig. 3 looking downward; Fig. 7 is a back view of one corner of the fabric gripping and tensioning apparatus; and Fig. I8 is a view of one of the fabric smoothing rollers looking downward on the line OS-O` of Fig. 3.

Corresponding reference. numerals areu used in all the figures to designate similar parts.

The tambour frame 1 is of the usual form, and it is provided with suitable means, as shaft 2 with worms 3, 3 meshing with worm gears 4,4 on shafts 5 and 6, respectively carrying worms 7, 7 and 8, 8 meshing with worm gears (not shown) onrthe shafts of the upper fabric rollers 99 and of thelower fabric rollers 10, 10, whereby the fabric rollers may be turned to feed the fabric forward in the well known way. Another shaft 11, carries worms 12, meshing with worm gears 13, 13 on shafts 14, 14. The threads of the worm gears 13, 13 are run in 'opposite directions .one from the other so that when the shaft 11 is turned the shafts 14, 14 will revolve in opposite directions. And the shafts 14, 14 carry pinions 15, 15 meshing with racks 16, 16, on bars 17, 17 sliding in suitable bearings on the tambour frame, so that when the shaft 11 turns the shafts 14, through the worm and gear connections, the bars 17 17 will all be simultaneously pushed toward or away from the fabric 18 carried by the fabric rollers.

' Each of the bars 17 has a roller 19 mounted to revolve thereon. And over each pair of rollers`19 travels an endless belt 20, which is provided with pin pointed spikes 21, 21 around its outer face.

Between each pair of bars 17, 17 and carried thereby through lugs 22, 22 secured to the bars 17 17 is a channeled belt-guide 23, in which the belt 20 travels. And a channeled guard 24, is also secured by suitable arms 25, 25 to each pair of bars 17, 17 in such a position as to overlap the belt 20 but to leave suflicient space between the belt and the guard for the fabric 18. i At either end of each of the lower fabric rollers 10, 10 is mounted a gear wheel 26, which meshes with a gear wheel 27 on a shaft 28, journaled in a bracket 29 on the tambour frame. The shaft 28 carries with it a roller 30; and this roller is set at an acute angle to the fabric roller 10, and travels in close relation lto a fiat, spring arm 31 which is also attached to the bracket 29. The, gears 26 and 27 are so proportioned that the surface of the roller 30 shall travel somewhat faster than the fabric which is drawn past it by the movements of the rollers 9 and 10.

In practice, each edge of the fabric is held, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, between the guide 23 audits guard 24, being engaged by the pins of the belt 20. If, now, it is desired to shift the fabric forward, the shafts 14 are turned, through their connections already described, so as to move the bars 17 inward, carrying with them the pin belt 2O and their guides and guards, thereby releasing the lateral tension upon the fabric. The rollers 9 and 10 are then turned so as to draw the fabric from the latter toward the former. As the fabric is unwound from the roller 10 each of its edges passes between one of the spring plates 31 and its roller 30, and the roller, being turned forward by the gears 26. and 27 faster than the fabric travels, pulls the fabric sidewise, thereby smoothing out any wrinkles therein and causing the edge of the fabric to pass evenly in between the guard 24 and the guide 23 and belt 20. The pins in the belt 20 engaging with the fabric cause the belt to be drawn forward around its rollers 19, 19, as the fabric advances, at one end engaging new portions of the fabric coming from the roller 10 past the roller 30, and at the other end releasing the fabric which is to be wound upon the roller 9. lVhen the fabric has been shifted a sufficient distance the fabric rollers are brought to rest, and the shafts 14 are turned in directions reverse to their previous movement, causing their pinions 15, through the racks 16, to draw out the bars 17, 17, belts 20, guides 23 and guards 24, carrying with them the edges of the fabric 18, the inner edges of the guides 23 preventing any sagging inward of the belts 20. And when the desired tension has been obtained the shafts 1.4 are stopped, and, owing to the control of the worms 12 upon the worm gears 13, 13, the shafts 14, 14 will securely hold any tension which has been placed upon the fabric. In this manner I obtain a side tensioning apparatus which at all times maintains control of the edges of the fabric, which automatically smooths out and engages with new portions of the fabric as it is fed forward, which can readily apply and hold the tension and as readily release it, and which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

I have shown the friction cylinders 30, as geared to the shafts of the lower rollers 10. But they could be otherwise geared, if de- Sir-ed, so longk as they are given the requisite movement relative to the fabric.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, diagonally disposed edge smoothing means and means movable parallel to the line of travel of the fabric for engaging each edge of the fabric.

2. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, a plurality of endless means, movable parallel to the line of travel of the fabric, and adapted severally for engaging the opposite edges of the fabric, means for giving lateral support to the said endless means, means for holding the fabric in connection therewith, and means for moving the said endless means laterally.

3. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, a plurality of cooperating and flexible edgeengaging means movable in the direction of the travel of the fabric, .rigid supporting,

holding and guarding means therefor, and means for causing the edge engaging means to approach or separate from each other.

4. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, a pair of opposed edge-engaging means each embracing a pin pointed belt, a rigid, channeled guide in which the belt travels and which is provided with a coperating guard, and means for causing the edge engaging means to approach or recede from each other.

n5. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, a pair of opposed edge-engaging means each embracing a pin pointed belt, traveling in a rigid, channeled guide, and provided with a eoperating guard, and means embracing rack bars and pinions, for causing the edge engaging means to approach or recede from each other.

G. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, edge-smoothing means disposed at an'angle to the line of travel of the fabric, means movable in the direction of the travel of the fabric for engaging each edge of the fabric, and means for giving lateral support to the longitudinally movable means.

. 7. rllhe combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, rotary edge-smoothing means disposed at an angle to the line of travel of the fabric, means movable in the direction of the travel of the fabric for engaging each edge ofthe fabric, and means for giving lateral support to the longitudinally movable means.

8. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, and a plurality of rotary edge-smoothing means each disposed at an angleto the line of travel of the fabric and adapted to draw the fabric in the direction in which the fabric is shifted and also outward.

9. |The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of feed rollers for carrying and shifting the fabric, and a plurality of rotary edgesmoothing means disposed diagonally relative to the feed rollers.

10. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of feed rollers for carrying and shifting the fabric, and a plurality of rotary edgesmoothing means disposed diagonally relative to the feed rollers and adapted to have a surface movement faster than the travel of the fabric.

11. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of

means for carrying and shifting the fabric, means for preliminarily smoothing and diagonally stretching and other means for then positively engaging the edges of the fabric.

12. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of means for carrying and shifting the fabric, means for preliminarily smoothingand diagonally stretching and other means, actuated by the travel of the fabric, for then positively engaging the edges of the fabric.

13. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of

feed rollers for carrying and shifting the fabric, and rotary means, actuated by a fabric roller, for preliminarily stretching each edge of the fabric diagonally.

111. The combination, in a lateral tensioning device for embroidering machines, of upper and lower fabric rollers for carrying and shifting the fabric, and rotary means, embracing rollers disposed diagonally in relation to the lower fabric roller, and geared thereto, for preliminarily stretching each edge of the fabric.

JOSEPH A. GROEBLI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

